Origin
Boston, MA
Late night in Boston on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boston, MA to Lowell, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Boston to Lowell, this 30.5-mile journey serves as a straightforward local transit between two historic Northeastern hubs. Expect to spend about 37 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stay. Because you will be navigating local streets rather than highways, you can anticipate a fuel cost of approximately $4 for the one-way trek. Since there are zero formal stops planned, you have the freedom to manage your own schedule entirely. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that keeps you moving through the heart of Massachusetts. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a quick excursion, this drive is efficient and requires minimal logistical planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 10.9 mi | 13m |
| I 93 | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Cambridge Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| Cambridge Street | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Chelmsford Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Winthrop Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Mystic Valley Parkway | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 10.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on Tremont Street
230 ft
·
11 sec
·
Tremont Street
2
Turn right onto Beacon Street
302 ft
·
11 sec
·
Beacon Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto Somerset Street
340 ft
·
13 sec
·
Somerset Street
4
Turn left onto Ashburton Place
210 ft
·
7 sec
·
Ashburton Place
5
Keep slight right at fork onto Ashburton Place
253 ft
·
8 sec
·
Ashburton Place
6
Turn straight onto Bowdoin Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Bowdoin Street
7
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
439 ft
·
21 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto Sudbury Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Sudbury Street
Use the left lane.
9
Take the ramp
1.1 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 93 North: Concord NH
10
Merge onto I 93
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 22
Toward MA 16 West: Mystic Valley Parkway, Arlington
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on MA 16
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
13
Turn right onto MA 38
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Winthrop Street
Use the right lane.
14
Enter roundabout onto Winthrop Street
117 ft
·
2 sec
·
Winthrop Street
15
Continue on Winthrop Street
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Winthrop Street
16
Continue on MA 38
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
Main Street
17
Enter roundabout onto Bacon Street
94 ft
·
1 sec
·
Bacon Street
18
Continue on Bacon Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Bacon Street
19
Turn left onto Church Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Church Street
20
Turn right onto US 3
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cambridge Street
21
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
22
Continue on US 3
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
·
Cambridge Street
23
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
US 3
Toward I 95 South, US 3 North: Waltham, Lowell
24
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Take the exit onto US 3
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
US 3
Exit 50B-A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
US 3
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
27
Keep slight right at fork onto US 3
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
US 3
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
28
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 81B-C
Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
31
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
32
Turn right onto MA 110
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
33
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cambridge Street
34
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
35
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 265 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 25.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Cambridge Street
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
4.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward MA 16 West: Mystic Valley Parkway, Arlington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22
Toward MA 16 West: Mystic Valley Parkway, Arlin...
8
14.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50B-A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike,...
8
24.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 81B-C
Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlbor...
8
25.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.35 one way
$8.71 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.16 | $10.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Lowell, MA
Late night in Lowell on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
41m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Forget the monotony of interstate cruising; this route is a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention. You will be navigating through city infrastructure, relying on streets like Beacon, Somerset, and Ashburton rather than high-speed lanes. Because the highway share is 0%, the experience is defined by urban maneuvering rather than long, open stretches. In fact, your longest uninterrupted segment is 0 miles on Beacon Street, highlighting how frequently you will be navigating intersections and turns. Be prepared for a hands-on driving experience that changes rhythm constantly as you transition from the dense streets of Boston toward your destination in Lowell.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
35 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Cambridge Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 26 decision points packed into just 27.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.1 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
205 ft
6 ft
Total Climb
302 ft
Total Descent
234 ft
Highest Point
205 ft
~13.6 mi in
Elevation Range
198 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Boston, MA and Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Arlington, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.
Arlington
4.6 mi in
|
~8m
Middlesex Turnpike
14.1 mi in
|
~23m
|
via US 3
Burlington
14.1 mi in
|
~23m
|
via US 3
Nashua New Hampshire
14.1 mi in
|
~23m
|
via US 3
Marlboro
24.7 mi in
|
~37m
Chelmsford
25.2 mi in
|
~37m
About the Cities
Starting in Boston, MA
Full guide →A city of history and tradition, Boston offers a proud legacy of culture, education, and numerous sporting championships. The "shining city on a hill"s independent spirit has been displayed to the world ever since colonists were angry over a British tax on their beloved tea and dumped shiploads of it into the harbor in protest. In the early 1600s, the peninsula in Massachusetts that would become known as Boston was controlled by Native Americans until John Smith (English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author) named the area New England to attract European settlers. Boston was founded in 1630 by John Winthrop, making it one of the oldest cities in the U.S. No other American city has made more of an effort to preserve its history, and you'll find buildings that pre-date the republic dotted throughout the region.
Arriving in Lowell, MA
Full guide →Lowell is a city in Massachusetts about 40 minutes northwest of Boston. With over 115,000 residents (2020), it's the fifth largest city in Massachusetts, and has an important historical background. It was the first planned industrial city in the United States.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on US 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Lowell, MA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.1 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Lowell National Historical Park and Minute Man National Historical Park (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lowell, MA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Lowell, MA
More trips to Lowell, MA
Explore more options from Boston, MA or browse trips ending in Lowell, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.